True LoveFinally
by Jeane De Clission
Summary: Ruthie is ill and that pushes Martin to realize that he loves Ruthie with all his heart and fears losing her above all else.
1. Chapter 1

A hacking cough made Ruthie sink further into Martin's hoodie and almost reflexively Martin looked up mid practice swing. Ruthie had never once missed a game or practice and she had adamently vetoed the idea that she stay home despite Martin asuring her that he wouldn't mind her missing just the one practice. Instead she had stolen his hoodie and a pair of his sweat pants and curled up on the bleachers with tissues shoved up one of the too big sleeves and cough drops overflowing from the big pocket. She gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile, he didn't look encouraged. Instead he jogged over to Coach Anders and spoke for a minute before gesturing up at Ruthie. The Coach gave a nod and Martin said something else before jogging back to the dugout and packing up his batbag. "Come on Ruthie!" he called and she frowned at him. "practice isn't over though." she tilted her head and started to speak again before a sneeze had her whole body seemingly shaking. When she opened her eyes back up Martin was picking her up like she weighed less than the batbag on his back. "Wha, Martin I can walk on my own!" she squeeked and he snorted. "Not from were I'm standing you can't." "that's because your standing with me in your arms! If you put me down you would be able to see it!" "Ruthie you almost busted your head sneezing." he put a little extra emphasis on sneezing before contiuing. "you need to go home and climb in bed and sleep." "No ones even home so it wouldn't hurt to stay until practice is over." "then you'll sleep in the garage until they get back."  
"you can't skip practice Martin, what if there was a scout there or something?" He rolled his eyes glancing down at her "Ruthie scouts don't just come to practice they send notice first, and besides usually they come to games anyway." A cough cut off any further argument and Ruthie's chest seemed to rattled to the point of pain. She nuzzled into Martin's chest and out of the cold wind. "still want to stay?" but there was more concern in his voice than sarcasm. She shook her head and burrowed down deeper.

She didn't even remember falling asleep but when she opened her eyes she was in the garage apartment tucked into Martin's bed and he sat beside her staring down at a history book blankly. "Martin?" He turned towards her a small smile on his face. "Feeling any better?" Ruthie shook her head "if anything I think it's getting worse." a burn had taken up residence in her throat. Martin leaned over and placed his hand on Ruthie's head. "you have a serious fever." he frowned smoothing her hair back. "and you've been asleep for nearly three hours, I hate to say this but maybe we should call your mom and dad." "No!" she croaked. "they never get to have alone time together, no don't interuppt them call Matt he is a doctor after all." "yeah a doctor in New York." he pointed out and she shook her head. "No it was suppose to be a suprise he and Sarah moved back they have a house a few blocks down, they've been avoiding everyone so they could suprise mom and dad." "Then how do you know?" Ruthie gave him a weak smile. "I know everything Martin." He gave a blinding smile. "how could I forget?" He kissed her forhead and then reached across her grab his cellphone. "What's Matt's number?"  
She rattled off the number and waited while he spoke quietly to Matt and snapped the phone shut. "he says he's on his way." Ruthie opened one eye and realized with a start that she had closed them. "did you tell him we were in the garage?" he eyed her for a second and opened the phone back up.


	2. Chapter 2

Matt leaned over Ruthie and checked her glands and then took the thermometer out of her mouth. "this isn't good."he muttered to himself smoothing back Ruthie's hair the same way Martin had only moments before. "what is it?" Martin's question sounded more like a demand. Ruthie had fallen asleep not to long ago and it seemed like she was getting worse and worse the longer she slept. "I think it's pnemonia, but that doesn't make any sense she would have been coughing and sneezing for days, maybe weeks." Martin shifted uneasily. "What?" Matt eyed him. "Ruthie hasn't been feeling good for a few days, almost a week actually." he shifted crossing his arms defensively. "She didn't want anyone to worry over a little cold." "yeah and obviously it wasn't just a little cold." Matt barked and Martin glared. "it just as easily could have been, how were we supposed to know?" "oh I don't know. Take her to the doctor maybe." "Hey Matt." Ruthie croaked sitting up a bit. "when did you get here?" instantly Matt was the soothing big brother she had grown up with. "A little while ago you were asleep, why didn't you mention being sick Ruthie?" She gave a one armed shrugg. "It wasn't this bad, I figured if i drank enough orange juice and took medicine I would be ok." Matt rubbed a hand through his hair. "When did it get this bad?" "Today." Martin answered instantly. "she was at practice with me and when I looked up she had sneezed so hard I thought she was going to bust her head on the bleachers." "what was she doing outside in the cold in this condition?" Martin glared arms tightening. "Because I haven't missed a single practice or game yet this season and I don't plan on it." Ruthie said easily one arm reaching to Matt. "A hug would help make me feel better Matt" she said pleadingly and with a small smile he leaned down and hugged her gingerly, almost like he was worried she would break. She pouted up at him. "you give sucky hugs." she said pointedly and he gave a small laugh. "I'm going to get Sarah so she can give a second opinion." He kissed her forhead one last time before heading back down the garage stairs. Ruthie turned to Martin and raised an eyebrow. "well?" He tilted his head forward eyebrows raised. Instead of answering Ruthie held out her arms expectantly and Martin gave a grin sat beside her on the bed pulling her closer tucking her head under his chin while she gave another hacking cough that was starting to sound worse and worse.

Sarah and Matt came in just as the cough was ending and Martin looked up "I think she needs to go to the hospital guys." Matt followed his eyes and stared at the bright red blood staining Martin's white t-shirt. "alright I'll take her to the hospital,Martin call mom and dad and let them know." "No, I'm not leaving her, I'll take her to the hospital you call the family." Matt turned to him incrediously. "she's my sister, I'll..""MATT!" Sarah snapped cutting him off. "go ahead Martin we'll meet you there." "Matt call your mom, I'll call Kevin and Lucy." "Right" both boys chimed and Martin lifted Ruthie off the bed and hurried down the stairs. Matt dialed his mom and sighed. "We have an emergency." he looked over at Sarah as she repeated the phrase.

Martin sat on the edge of the hospital chair one hand resting as close as possible to Ruthie's own despite the I.V. wrapped around her wrist. She was pale and the coughing was still getting worse. "Oh Ruthie!" Annie Camden cried charging in and Eric was only a step behind her. "Lucy and Kevin are on their way, and so is Simon, I couldn't reach Mary." Annie gave her daughter a watery smile. "why didn't you tell us you were sick?" she squeezed Ruthie's hand. "It wasn't this bad, it just seemed to suddenly get worse."  
"That's because you exaserbated it being out in the cold weather today." A man in a white coat came in clipboard in hand. "Hi, I'm Timothy Lances." "Eric and Annie Camden." Eric shook his hand. "So what exactly is wrong with Ruthie?" "well your son was correct in his assesment, it's pnemonia, a pretty bad case to." "and the blood?" Martin asked nervously gesturing at his still unchanged shirt.  
"She has a scratch in her throat." Ruthie nodded slightly. "I coughed and choked on a cracker earrlier today." she admitted reluctantly. Martin gave a sigh of relief. "Now pnemonia on it's own is a very serious thing, but on top of that Ruthie has a case of serious dehydration." "but, she's been drinking plenty, just this morning on the way to practice we stopped and got a jug of orange juice, she drank almost all of it." "being so dehydrated is hard to just fix with a jug of orange juice it's a constant thing."  
"so." he clicked his pen. "I'd like her to stay for a few days to get her rehydrated and I'll prescribe her some antibotics for the pnemonia but this kind of thing has to be handled carefully, when you have pnemonia your immune system is weakened significantly, she could get sick from a stiff breeze." "thankfully despite it being a pretty bad case it's definately not the worst I've ever seen and she's young and strong so she'll be fine." The room gave a collective sigh of relief and Martin took Ruthie's hand covertly despite her having drifted off somewhere around dehydration. Lucy and Kevin stumbled in both shooting to Ruthie. "What's wrong with her?" Lucy screeched and Kevin looked harshly at the doctor one hand reached toward his gun reflexively. "Pnemonia and dehydration, their going to keep her for a few days and give her some medicine." Annie gave Lucy's shoulder a squeeze. "right, i'll get the boys mom, you guys stay here with Ruthie." Kevin said swiftly and Annie gave a grateful nod. "I have to go to we have a sermon." Lucy sighed and Eric hesitated for a second. "Go, i'll stay here." Annie smiled at her husband. "yeah, Me to." Martin tightened his grip and Ruthie's hand reflexively did the same. "Matt and Sarah went back to work." Annie gave a sudden brilliant smile. "They moved back home, it was suppose to be a suprise."

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ok next chapter Ruthie's going home!


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